Snuggling, hospital-style.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Continued from here.

Spike kept his eyes closed and swallowed around a lump in his throat. "It's all right, love. You'll only get better." He wasn't sure that Wesley needed the reassurance, but he needed to hear the words, himself.

Comments

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"I know. I will." Wesley said the words soothingly, wanting to bring his other hand up to stroke Spike's hair but unable to.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Clearing his throat, Spike nodded against Wesley's temple and said, "Good." Fighting against the prickling behind his eyelids, he added, "'Cause this isn't what I had in mind when I thought about getting you back in bed." His tone was more pained and less light than he would have liked.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley smiled a bit and turned his head to kiss Spike's hair. "No, it's not what I'd prefer either, certainly."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

The tender kiss pushed Spike closer to losing the control he had on his emotions. He couldn't let that happen for Wesley's sake, so he pulled back enough to look into Wesley's eyes. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "Really."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Okay," Wesley said. "I wouldn't expect to be feeling any better than I am, considering. It's... uncomfortable, but not unbearable."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"There's plenty more painkillers if you need them," Spike said. "And I'm still sorry I didn't get to you sooner and save you all this."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"It's not your fault this happened," Wesley said. "You know that?"

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"I could've stopped it if I'd known," Spike replied. "Could've gotten there faster."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"I didn't know, myself, until it was too late." Wesley would have shrugged if he could have. "You couldn't have known."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"I should've. I wasn't thinking." Spike admitted in a low voice, "I wanted the fight."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"There's nothing wrong with that," Wesley said gently. "It's natural, under the circumstances. You didn't have any reason to believe I'd get hurt."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"But you did," Spike said a bit helplessly. The image of Wesley lying on the pavement, both of them covered in blood, seemed burned onto his retinas. "There're hundreds of ways I could've stopped it."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley brought Spike's hand up, despite the awkwardness, and kissed it. "You can't think like that, love."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike held onto Wesley's hand more firmly. "I can't not. Not when it was so bloody close." At least Wesley hadn't died because of his lack of focus, unlike Buffy.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Not knowing what else to say, Wesley repeated, "This isn't your fault. And I'm going to be fine."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"I know." It was an answer to the the second statement. "You're sure you don't need anything?"

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Not at the moment, no," Wesley said, mostly because he didn't want Spike to move. He thought that he could wait for more medication until his next scheduled dose.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"The minute you do, tell me," Spike said. "That's why I'm here."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley smiled gently. "I thought you were here to keep me from going stark raving mad with boredom."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"That, too. Anything you need." Spike paused and then added with a faint grin, "Although I would've thought you've been sleeping too much to be bored."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"For now," Wesley said, speaking from experience. "But that won't last long."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike hoped that Wesley was right; watching him sleep was more tiring than he would have thought. "I'll have to start thinking about ways to amuse you, then. Any ideas?"

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Maybe you could bring that video game system in and set it up," Wesley suggested. "Given enough time, I might actually get good enough to beat you."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

While Spike wasn't thrilled about leaving Wesley's side to get it, he said, "You can try. If I feel sorry enough for you, I might even let you."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley shook his head. "You'd better not. I have to win fairly or not at all."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Then you better get ready for not at all," Spike said with a teasing grin.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Oh, you think so?" Wesley said, feigning mild offense.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike chuckled. "I've got decades of practice on you, pet. Losing to me is nothing to be ashamed of."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Decades?" Wesley asked. "Really? But not on the current systems."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"No, but arcades have been around for years." Spike refrained from mentioning that he had found them to be great places to get a quick snack, since most people there were so engrossed in their noisy and violent games that they didn't notice a cry of pain and a guy a few consoles down suddenly disappearing.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Fine," Wesley said, pretending to give up on the idea entirely. "You'll win, it's utterly hopeless."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Doesn't mean playing wouldn't fun," Spike pointed out, smiling more warmly at Wesley than the teasing deserved just because he was happy to see him be playful. "Just takes the pressure off of who'll win or lose."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Oh, for you," Wesley said, trying to hide his own smile but not succeeding. "Because you're the one who'll win."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Here I thought you loved me enough to be happy to see me do well." Spike shook his head with fake sadness.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"I think you're underestimating my own desire to win," Wesley said. He shifted his weight and winced. "Could you take this, please?" he asked, indicating the laptop.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike immediately lifted the computer from Wesley's lap, closing it and setting it at the foot of his own bed. "Sorry. Is that better?" he asked.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Yes, thanks. You'd think they'd make these beds a bit more comfortable, considering." Wesley smiled at Spike.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Do you want some more pillows?" A thought occurred to Spike. "If I throw around Angel's name, I could probably get you a different bed. Want me to try?"

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley shook his head. "No, love, it's fine. I don't think anything would be completely comfortable just now."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Thwarted from doing something constructive, a by now familiar sense of helplessness crept over Spike again, and his shoulders sagged. "All right. But if you change your mind I'll be happy to make sure you get what you want."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"I know you will," Wesley said, wondering if Spike really did need something to do. "Did they say I could actually have something to eat?"

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike nodded. "Wonder what kind of room service they have here."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Probably horrible," Wesley said. He was speaking from experience with hospitals, if not Wolfram and Hart specifically, after all. "Maybe you could sneak out and get me something."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"I could do that." Spike wasn't overly enthusiastic about the thought of leaving Wesley. "Suppose they'd notice if we ordered in, wouldn't they?"

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Continues here (http://www.livejournal.com/community/reality_bends/73515.html).